Wheel for vehicles



May 3, 1924.

- H. c. L. HOLDEN WHEEL FOR VEHICLES 7 Filed Jan. 5, 1924 reference to the annexed p the wheel.

Patented May 13, 1924.

Tiaras iaaaiai HENRY CAPEL LOFFT HOLDEN. O'F BLACKHE'ATH, LONDQN, ENGLAND.

, WHEEL FOR VEHICLES.

Application med January :5, 1924. Serial No. 8;,194.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, HENRY GAPEL Lorr'r HOLDEN, a subject of the King of England, residing at Blackheath, London, England, have invented new and useful Improvements in Wheels for Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improved means for securing a road tire upon a flanged railway wheel, so that such a wheel can be used either on the railway or on the road.

For this purpose I employ upon a flanged railway wheel, a transversely split or divided ring (having ends which can be closed together or separated) which whenbeing inserted in position rides up the tapered tread oi the railway wheel towards the flange of the latter.

The present invention is characterized by the use in combination with the flanged railway wheel, of a transversely divided or split ring formed in one or more lengths and of wedge or tapered cross section, so that as an intermediate member it can be forced up the tread of the wheel and towards the flange, for the purpose of abutting at itsexterior surface against the inside of the road-tire base, the latter being arranged radially outside said tread. This intermediate member is maintained upon the tread of the wheel between the flange of the railway wheel and a retaining device carried by the wheel, such as an L- shaped bolt bearing against the edge of the ii'ltermediate member.

The invention is hereafterdcscribed with drawings, in which 1 Figure 1 is a cross section of one form of carrying out the invention.

Figure 2 is a similar view of another form.

Figure 3 is a part side elevation of Figure 2 seen from the left. 7

Figure i is a part side elevation of Figure 2 seen from the right but with a longer bolt head.

Figure 5 is a side elevation showing a clip or locking piece in place.

Figure 6 is a diagram showing the transversely divided ring formed in two pieces.

Figure 7 shows a screw-threaded bolt "for starting the ring from the tapered treadof.

Figure 8 shows a peg whereby thering may be forced oii the tread of the wheel.

Referring to- Figure 1,11 lit the railway wheel a which as usual is provided with an outwardly directed flange 1) to engage the inner edge of the rail of the track, with a transversely split or divided ring 0, which ring is tapered and adapted to embrace the periphery a of the wheel a and at the same time to aiiord a cylindrical outer bearing surface. This split ring 0 is shown appropriately tapered or coned on its inner periphery, to ride up the coned. metal tread (1 of the railway wheel. This divided ring may be tormed in one length, as will be understood from Figure 5, or in more than one length as shown diagrammatically in Figure 6. g

The divided ring 0 is detachably held in position on the metal tread of the wheel by retaining devices such as L-shaped holding clips 6 e the arm 6 of which engages the outer edge of the split ring 0, that is the edge remote fromthe flange b on the wheel a, and the longer arm (2 of which clip is adapted to ,be drawn towards the central plane of the wheel a; this may be efliected by screw-threading the second arm 6, passing itthrough a lug f on the inner face of wheel periphery a and fitting it with a nut e The arm (2 may alternatively be passed through the web of the wheel a, will be obvious.

In this av, the clips 0 e retain the split ring 0 upon the wheel (1 and can be oper ated to cause it to ride up the coned tread (1/ of the wheel periphery towards the outwardly directed flange b, when required. Any desired number of these retaining clips '0 may be employed at intervals around the wheel a, and it will be noted that they are arranged at the side of the wheel a opposite to the flangev b.

Before the transversely. divided .andtapered ring 0 is. expanded by movement up the coned periphery a the carrienbase r rim 9 for a road tire e. g. the resil ent tire 9 is fitted around and outside the intermediate member '0. This tirecarrier or base g may consist of the usual metal ring or telly on which an ordinary rubber, road-wheel tire is mounted, or. it may be, for instance, a beaded-edge rim of the usual clincher type :for a pneumatic tire, as will beobvious.

Ill

The intermediate and transversely divided member 0 when drawn or otherwise forced up the coned periphery (4 of the railway wheel, expands and makes locking contact with the inner periphery of the tire base and also with the outer periphery a of the wheel, so as to hold the parts together. lVhen so expanded by its movement transversely across the tread a of the wheel a it affords an .almost continuous cylindrical. outer surface which bears against the inner periphery of the carrier for the resilient tire.-

It desired, and as shown in Figure 6, the intern'iediate member 0 may be 't'ormed in a plurality of lengths i. e. in segments, means being also provided tor torcing each such length or segment up the coned tread a and retaining it in its operative position.

The arrangement shown in Figures 2, 3 and 4 shows the application of the present invention to one of the well known cast-steel railway wheels, which by way of example may be supposed to have, been previously fitted to a road lorry or truck, so that the road truck titted with such wheels can be driven along railway lines. The i'liUlSVGl'SQ- ly divided wedge-ring 0 which "forms the in termediate member or adapter is here shown engaged at its edge remote from the flange Z). by the cranked head 71 of a bolt h which forms one of the retaining devices and passes transversely through the wheel a. the nut 72? for the bolt 72- being seated in a lateral recess or socket 2' formed in the wheel 0. By tightening up the nut if, the head k which is seated in a corresponding slot 7: in the opposite lateral face of the wheel (4. causes the transversely split ring-o to ride up the coned periphery a and it also prevents the said split ring c from laterally moving backwards to such an extent as to pass oil the wheel periphery. Any desired number of these retaining bolts h it maybe employed, e. g. 4t to 8, arranged at intervals around the trend of the wheel, depending upon the size of the wheel. y i i If. desired, for two or more of the bolts and as will be understood from Figure 4. the .head 7L may be of such a length that it extends to the top of the tire base 9, so as to prevent that also from moving laterally away from the flange 7). Thus a self-pro pe-lled road vehicle whiclnhas been fitted with flanged wheels whereby it is adapted I to bedriven on railwayrlines, can without ditlicultybe provided with a rubber tire for use on ordinary roads or similar surfaces. and. it isto be noted that there are no projections from the railway wheel beyond the sides of the wheel. I

In Figure 5., I show another similar de-' vice for, preventing the tire base 7 from moving laterally:- inrthis arrangement a plate 7' 1s bolted or otherwise secured to the trans versely divided ring 0 and projects to the top form of resilient tire can be mounted on the tire base g which latter is maintained in position by the radially-outwards e pa11 sion or wedging' action of the divided ring (2 as it is being torced up the coned tread (1 For convenience a solid rubber tire has been sho'wnat y.

To facilitate the removal ot the transversely divided ring 0 and rubber tire base 5 when required. I show a hole in the rail-flange 7) of the railway wheel through which pressure can be applied to the side or edge of the divided ringc, after the holding clips 0 c or bolts it have been removed or slackened. For example, by providing screw-threaded holes as 70, Figure 1, through the flange 7) at three or more points, suitable set-screws or bolt-s 1 can be employed to start the tapered and divided ring 0 back along the coned periphery a of the wheel, so that the base g and the rubber tire can befreed and removed. a p

In Figures 2, 3 and 8, a plain hole Z1 is shown through which a pe bar or drift 7r can be inserted.

The gap in the transversely divided or split ring 0 is shown at in Figure 5 and with a taper in the tread a of 1 in 20, the ends of the split ring 0 might be arranged to be close together when the intern'iediate member 0 was half-way up the coned periphery a The present improvement enables an automobile vehicle which has been fitted with flanged railway wheels whereby it can be used on the "ails off a railway track. to be quickly and economically fitted with means whereby the same wheels of the vehicle can be employed upon the highway.

Having now particularly describedand a certained. thenature of my said invention and'in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is 1. In a wheel for use on either road or rail, the combination of a wheel with a coned tread, a lateral guiding flange to said wheeltread, a road-tire arranged radially outslde said wheel tread. a transversely d1- .vided ring adapted to be mounted on said divided ring adapted to be mounted on said wheel tread, said ring being tapered in cross section and arranged between said tread and said road-tire, and detachable means carried by the wheel for retaining the intermediate ring upon the wheel tread.

S. In a wheel for use on either road or rail, the combination of a wheel with a coned tread, a rail-engaging flange carried by said wheel, a road tire mounted on a base and arranged radially outside said wheel tread, a transversely divided ring adapted to be mounted on said wheel tread, said ring being tapered on its inner periphery to con form with the coned tread of the wheel and toafl'ord an approximately cylindrical outer bearing surface, said ring being adapted to be expanded when forced up the coned tread of the wheel, said ring being adapted to lock the tire base to the wheel tread, and means "For retaining the divided ring in its locking position.

4. In a wheel of the type described, the combination with a flanged railway wheel, of a resilient tire for use on the road, a base for said road tire, a transversely divided ring adapted to be introduced between said tire base and the tread of said flanged railway wheel, and of detachable means carried by the railway wheel for retaining the ring in position.

5. In a wheel of the character described, a laterally flanged railway wheel, a road tire, a base for said road tire, a transversely divided and expansible ring adapted to be mounted on the tread of the railway wheel from the side opposite to the said flange, and means for forcing said expansible. ring across the tread of said wheel, said means also serving to retain the ring upon the wheel.

6. In a wheel of the character described, a railway wheel having a lateral rail-engaging tlange, a road tire, a carrier base for said road tire, said tire and its carrier being arranged radially outside the tread of the railway wheel, a transversely divided and expansible ring adapted to be mounted on the tread of the railway wheel from the side opposite to said flange, and means carried by the wheel for forcing said expansible ring across the tread of said wheel until the exterior of said ring abuts against the interior of the said carrier-base, said means also serving to retain the ring in operative position.

7. In a wheel of the character described, a railway wheel having a lateral rail-engaging flange, a road tire, a carrier-base for said road tire, said carrier-base and tire being arranged radially outside the tread of the said wheel, a transversely divided and 8X- pansible ring adapted to be mounted on the tread of the wheel from the side opposite to the aforesaid flange, said ring being tapered in cross section and forming an intermediate locking member between said tread and its carrier-base, and means carried upon the wheel for retaining the ring in its expanded and locking position.

8. The combination with a laterallyflanged railway wheel, of a resilient tire, a carrier for said tire, said tire and its carrier being arranged radially outside the tread of said wheel, a transversely divided locking ring adapted to be inserted between said tread and said tire-carrier from the side of the wheel opposite to the lateral flange of the wheel, said ring being tapered in cross section so that as it moves across the tread of the wheel it will bind against the interior periphery of the tire carrier, lateral slots in said wheel on the side opposite to the flange, and L-shaped bolts carried by the wheel, said bolts having their cranked ends arranged in said slots and bearing against the edge of the locking ring remote from the flange upon the wheel.

9. In a wheel of the character described, a laterally flanged railway wheel, a resilient tire for use on the road, a carrier for said road-tire, a transversely divided locking ring between said tread and said carrier, said ring being tapered in cross section and inserted from the side of the wheel opposite to the lateral flange of said wheel, slots in the side of the wheel opposite to the lateral flange, and L-shaped retaining bolts carried by the wheel, said bolts having their cranked heads arranged in said slots and adapted to bear against the edge of the locking ring re mote from the flange upon the wheel, the cranked heads of said bolts also bearing against the road-tire carrier.

10. In a wheel. of the character described, a laterally flanged railway wheel, a road tire, a carrier-base for said tire, a trans versely divided ring inserted between the tread of said wheel and said carrier base from the side of the wheel opposite to the flange, and passages through the lateral flange to afford access to the transversely di vided ring.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

HENRY CAPEL LOFFT HOLDEN. 

